Cites issues that require leadership, influence
Published in the April 13-26, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Steve Tate
Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate announced last week that he will run in the November election for a sixth term.
The decision was made while he and his wife, Jennifer Tate, were in Arizona on a get-away during the month of March, he said.
“When I was on vacation, I kind of went back to what we did in the (city council) goal-setting retreat that we do every year and we came up with a long list of things that need to be done and a lot of them are not things that you can say ‘we’re going to get them done this year and we’re done,”’ he said. “There are things that are going to take multiple years, that will take influence, that will take leadership. And I kind of got excited looking at that. I just got the feeling that I want to get these other things done as well.”
No other resident has announced an intention to run for mayor. Council member Larry Carr said he plans to be on the ballot in November. Council member Marilyn Librers said she will wait for a later date to announce whether or not she will run. Morgan Hill residents Rene Spring and Mario Banuelos have announced that they intend to run for the city council in November.
Among the top priorities for Tate if elected in November is the implementation of the General Plan to guide the city to the year 2035.
Another issue Tate would like to work on in a new term is the preservation of agriculture in the Southeast Quadrant. Last month, Santa Clara County’s Local Agency Formation Commission voted against a plan developed by the city to annex 229 acres of land to control urban growth into the rural belt surrounding Morgan Hill.
Tate said that he will work with staff with Santa Clara County and the Open Space Authority to work on another proposal to “preserve as much agriculture as we possibly can.”
One of the intentions for annexing the SEQ was to develop more recreational and tourism opportunities, something the residents have said is a high priority for them and which he will work on if re-elected.
Public safety is another important issue for Tate. He wants the city to develop a “long-range master plan for public safety” which will incorporate police and fire services as well as safer roads and safe routes to schools.
The city is transitioning to a two-year budget cycle, which is going to be a significant change that he wants to oversee to make sure the city has a sustainable budget strategy in place as it converts to the new financial approach.
One area that the city can do a better job is in engaging the public. Its Public Engagement Officer Maureen Tobin has done a “good job” getting information out to the public, but still citizens are confused or unaware of some issues, he said.
“We still see things where the public does not understand some of our decisions,” Tate said. “We’re not explaining ourselves well enough and we still see areas where we would like to get more public input before we make those decisions. We want to keep working on communication.”
Among Tate’s proudest accomplishments is the opening of the new library 10 years ago during his first year as mayor.
He is also proud of the “tenor of the council” in terms of how the council members respect each other, he said.
“It’s not one of these councils that you keep reading about that are throwing rocks at each other during meetings or have factions going in different directions. We don’t always agree but we get along,” he said. “And we really, really emphasize our ethics policy and our respect for each other. We are respectful and that helps us accomplish a lot more than bodies that don’t get along.”
